


Ilvermorny and the Children of Magic

by Jbluejake



Series: The Ilvermorny Collection [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Gen, Harry Potter - Freeform, Ilvermorny, Ilvermorny House - Horned Serpent, Ilvermorny House - Pukwudgie, Ilvermorny House - Thunderbird, Ilvermorny House - Wampus, Ilvermorny and the Children of Magic, Magic, Muggle Life, Muggle/Wizard Relations, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Quidditch, Wizarding Culture (Harry Potter), Wizarding Politics (Harry Potter), Wizarding Wars (Harry Potter), Wizarding World (Harry Potter), Wizards
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:54:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23821915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jbluejake/pseuds/Jbluejake
Summary: Recent High-School Graduate Jacob Johnson wants nothing more than to spend time with his friends, so he can enjoy his summer vacation before being whisked away to college. But when strange things begin to happen in his dreams, in the nearby forest, and after a strange letter is delivered to him, Jacob must leave his life and friends behind, travel to Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and master his newfound magical abilities before the wicked Second-Salem Organization throws the Wizarding World into chaos.
Series: The Ilvermorny Collection [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1716397
Comments: 18
Kudos: 2





	1. A Dream Unravelling

**Chapter 1, A Dream Unravelling:**

Jacob was startled out of his sleep by the alarm he set the night before. Unable to fall back asleep, he tossed back his bed-sheets, rubbed his eyes, and stumbled out of bed. He grabbed his watch off the bedside table and made his way into the hall. Jacob Johnson was an eighteen-year-old guy who lived in the Hennepin County, Minnesota. He was tall, had dark brown hair, and had bright blue eyes. He was tall like his Dad and as much of a morning-person as his Mom was (which is to say, not at all). Jacob slept in the second bedroom on the left-hand side of the upper floor hallway, right next to the guest bedroom. His parents' room was further down the hall, but they were both still fast asleep. He trudged past pictures hanging on the wall before walking down the stairs to the main level, which creaked and cracked in the silence of an early morning.

Just last week, Jacob had graduated from Centennial Park High School with flying colors, and just yesterday, he had celebrated his graduation with his family and friends at his Graduation Party. As he trudged into the Living Room, he saw that it was still filled with the decorations, limp balloons, and the various other things from the party. He had stacked up all of the letters he received on a small table near the fireplace, but they had fallen over during the night and were in a jumbled mess all over the floor. Jacob tip-toed through the mess and straightened up the pile. As he picked up the cards, he noticed that one of them was from Mrs. Eversol, their next-door neighbor. He didn't remember seeing her at the party last night, but he didn't mind. Any sort of money helps. The last card he picked up had fallen between the table and the couch. He wouldn’t have noticed it there if it wasn’t for the shimmering stamp stuck in the top right corner of the envelope. As he pulled it out and saw who it was addressed from, he sighed. Of course it was from her. Why wouldn’t it be? The name read: “ _Andrea Hunter_ ”, one of the few people that Jacob had been trying his hardest to forget about. She was the one person in his life that he never wanted to see again. The image of him standing with her on the bridge flashed across his mind, as well as the tears that had run down his face. Before all of the pain could flood back into his heart., acob shook his head and forcefully slapped the letter down onto the table. He then walked into the kitchen to start making his breakfast.

He opened one of their cupboards, pulled out a small plate, and set it on the counter. He then turned towards the loaf of bread on the counter, grabbed a piece of bread, and slid it into the toaster. As he waited for his bread to be toasted, he gazed out their kitchen window above the sink. He sighed with contempt as the pain of Andrea's rejection faded away. Jacob loved the rain. There was just something about the steady _pitter-patter_ of rain on a window that calmed him down. When he was younger, he'd always run out into the backyard when it was raining, and do his best to find the largest puddle. His parents would then rush him back inside, dry him off with a towel, and wrap in a warm fuzzy blanket while he watched cartoons.

Those were the days. The days when he didn't worry about every little thing that he did, or what other people thought of him. When he could just enjoy life more than he had to worry about it.

Jacob poured himself a glass of orange-juice. Not long after that, Jacob could hear his parents walking around upstairs. His parents still supported and loved him as much as they did when he was a kid, and he was thankful for that, more than any amount of words could describe. Especially now. As more and more people you love and want to love reject you, you start to wonder if there's something wrong with you. That maybe you're just not attractive enough, that you're boring to be around. The pain of rejection becomes a common feeling, one that whittles down your self-esteem until you have almost nothing left. Jacob remembered, one night, he asked his parents:

"Is there...something wrong with me?" And they replied with...

"No, you're exactly how you're meant to be, and we love you for it...more than you'd ever know"

“Good morning!” he said to them with a grin. They both smiled back at him and his mother hugged him.

"Good morning my wonderful son!" his mother told him as she squeezed him tight. "Did you sleep good?"

"Yep!" he replied. His dad patted him on the back with a smile before walking into the kitchen. Both of them were already fully dressed, but it was only nine-o'clock in the morning on a Saturday.

“Whatcha doing?” Jacob asked them.

“We're getting ready to head up to the cabin” his mother replied. “Some friends of ours will be staying with us for a couple of days. I thought we mentioned this last night after the party?” Jacob thought about it and then nodded.

“Oh yeah! That’s right. When will you guys be coming back?” His Dad slid his coat on before replying.

“We'll be home sometime on Monday” he grabbed the keys from where they sat on the kitchen counter. “Make sure to go to work Jacob” he then smiled and wagged a finger at Jacob before winking. “And don't be throwing any parties while we're gone!” Jacob laughed.

“Yeah yeah… Don’t worry! The house will still be standing when you get back” He winked, smiled, and stuck out his tongue. Both of his parents laughed before saying goodbye to Jacob. They then promptly walked out into the garage and left, leaving Jacob alone to his thoughts.

After having such a big party the night before, Jacob was tired, and had no desire to clean up the mess. So he got up from where he was sitting, put his dishes away, and sat down in front of his computer before idly scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and his subscriptions on YouTube. Nothing new or interesting has happened yet today, so he turned towards his phone, which was charging in the wall next to him. As he pulled it out and opened his texting app, Jacob began scrolling through his texts until he reached the Group Chat that he and his friends were using.

“Hey” Jacob typed out. “You guys free today?” He pressed send and then waited.

Nothing happened. No reply came. He waited a bit longer. Usually, one of them would’ve gotten back to him by now. A feeling of isolation slowly creeped into his heart as thoughts about Andrea creeped back into his mind. Again, Jacob shook his head, trying to drive the thought from his mind. He then waited for the next half-hour. Sighing in defeat, he went back upstairs to his room, set his phone down onto the small table next to his bed, and left it to charge before getting dressed to exercise.

* * *

Jacob slipped his wallet into his pocket and slid on his running shoes. He then stepped out of the house, locked the door behind him, and walked down the driveway and onto the street. He took a deep breath in and back out again, happy to get a nice whiff of fresh air so early in the morning. He then stretched, started his stopwatch, and started running off down the street.

Jacob’s family lived at 3206 Dragsburg Lane, a two-story house situated in a community known as Edinburgh Terrace. Edinburgh Terrace was located in a hilly part of town, where streets ran up and down the hills as they weaved among the many trees that dotted the community. Jacob ran down the street, past Mrs. Eversol’s house and towards a small asphalt path that ran off into the forest at the end of the street.

Soon enough, he was surrounded by trees on every side. The only sound he could hear was the steady drumming of his feet on the black, asphalt pavement as he ran. He ran by paths that branched off into the woods and towards other parts of town, but Jacob stayed on the main path. Just as he reached the heart of the woods, Jacob had grown bored. So when he noticed a small dirt path that led off deeper into the woods, one that he had never noticed before, he jumped at the chance and ran off down the path without a second thought.

The further Jacob ventured down the path, the more wild and rough it became. Tall grass whipped at his shins and bits of sand and dirt found their way into his shoes. After running for a while, he ended reach the middle of the forest. There sat a small glade of birch and oak trees surrounding a large patch opening. In the middle of the glade was a large tree-stump that had been worn down, almost as if someone had sanded down all of the rough edges until it was completely smooth. Jacob was amazed that something like this was hidden in the forest. As Jacob approached the stump, however, he was stopped in his tracks by the most peculiar sight. 

By the stump sat a small blue bowl filled with water. It looked like a dog-bowl, but the name plastered on the side of the bowl had worn off. Behind the stump was a large pile of wood. Picking up a piece of wood off the top of the pile, Jacob recognized it immediately. He had seen enough of them up at his family’s cabin to know that what he held in his hand was the handle of an axe. As he kept picking up more and more pieces of wood, he realized that this was a pile of axe-handles.

Suddenly, a loud bark echoed throughout the clearing. Jacob jumped and turned towards the sound. He listened closely to the forest around him, which had turned eerily quiet. He heard the bark again and ran back towards the path and jumped into the forest before hiding behind a fallen tree. He didn't want to get caught trespassing on private property, if that's what this turned out to be. A voice then drifted towards him and the forest began to rustle off near the clearing.

“I know I know…” the voice said. “But seriously… I feed you a red oak axe-handle _one time_ and you turn as sour as a bad bottle of Fire Whiskey!”

The dog barked in reply.

“And when I take you to Scolopax Inexplicabilis Pet Hospital all the way in downtown St. Paul, all they do is tell me that you were just so disgusted by eating a red oak axe-handle that you kept trying to throw it up. You weren’t sick at all...you goofy dog!”

His dog whined in protest.

“Oh come on! I love you to bits Consumen. I come out here to your favorite stump, fill your water bowl, and bring you a steady supply of axe-handles every day. Only one of those have been red oak. You gotta cut me some slack! Uff da…” he muttered.

Jacob could just see through to the clearing. A man and his dog had entered the clearing. The man wore a pointed hat with a wide brim. He held a walking stick in his hands and an axe-handle in the other. He had white, scruffy hair and a long, thin purple scarf that reached down to his belt. The dog, however, was too short for Jacob to see.

“I gotta head out soon though, Consumen. I've gotta catch the Quidditch Game on the radio. The Kensington Kestrels are facing off against the Red-River Rams from Idaho, but the Rams’ Seeker, the famous Jason Owyhee, is out with a case of Dragon Pox! That means we might have a chance of beating them! Us Minnesotan teams never win anything...I swear, Wisconsin's team must've put some sort of curse on us when we weren't lookin...”

His dog barked in reply.

The man scratched his dog behind its ears, bid it farewell, and walked off into the forest and out out of sight. It wasn’t until the rustling faded away that Jacob dared to move from his spot. He quietly stood up and walked back onto the path. Looking back towards the glade and saw what looked like a tan axe laying down on the stump. There was no dog to be seen. Or at least, that’s what Jacob thought. 

As he approached the stump, he realized that the axe was snoring. It was also wearing a collar and had four feet. Jacob eventually stood directly above the axe/dog and saw small beady eyes and a small tongue that stuck out of a set of razor-sharp teeth. There it sat, fast asleep on a stump. The dog itself was about the size of an axe and covered in bright cream-colored fur.

Jacob, not knowing what to make of it, ran back home, faster than he had in a long time. As he ran back up the driveway, he quickly opened and closed the door. He slipped off his shoes, walked back into the Kitchen, and put his head into his hands, still shaken by what he had seen. Just then, his Mother called him on his cellphone, which he slid out of his pocket. She gave her phone over to their friends, each of which congratulated Jacob on his graduation. As he smiled at all of their kind words, the thought of the axe-handle hound left his mind and was forgotten.

* * *

Jacob woke up that night drenched in sweat. His breathing was heavy, and his limbs felt like blocks of concrete. He laid there, alone, shivering aggressively for a while before he finally managed to open his eyes. His bedroom was dark and silent. With a great effort he turned his head towards his clock, but to his surprise, the numbers made no sense to him and were flickering rapidly. Panic began to envelop him, and he tried calling for his parents.

“Mom!” he said, “Dad!” He tried yelling for them, but all he could manage was a weak whimper before he remembered that they were long gone. His stomach started to feel queasy, but as quickly as that feeling came, it faded away. The overwhelming chills that he felt were suddenly replaced by a wave of unbearable heat. He began to moan as rain began pounding his bedroom window.

“Oh no… _What’s happening to me?!”_

Suddenly, Jacob’s head grew tight, as if he had a headache. He clutched his forehead and clenched his eyes shut, but both Jacob and his bed-sheets slowly started to rise up into the air. As he just got close enough to touch the ceiling, the pain in his head reached its peak and he started to slowly fall back down onto his bed. As he finally came down onto his mattress, he began to weep.

When Jacob opened his eyes again, however, he found himself lying down in a large field filled with tall grass as far as the eye could see. Mountains stood out on the horizon to the east and there was a great forest to the west. The stars of the night sky shone down onto him and the sound of water crashing onto a distant coastline echoed in the night. Panic, strangely enough, eluded him. Instead, Jacob felt a strange sense of awe wash over him, egging him on to explore.

A little while after he started walking off into the field, he reached a long path that stretched out in either direction from the forest and to the mountains. The forest felt too familiar to Jacob, as if he knew every path, every rock, and every tree as well as he knew the back of his hand. The mountains, on the other hand, felt new and exciting. Gazing at their snow-capped peaks, he wondered what was hidden beyond them, what secrets they held. He decided to leave the forest behind for the mountains, but in his heart he felt sad to leave something so familiar to him behind. He knew that if he went back to the forest, he’d never see the mountains again. At the same time, however, he knew that if he went to the mountains, he’d never get a glimpse of the forest again for the rest of his life. Turning his back on the forest, he started making his way towards the mountains on the rough dirt path.

The path led to a great gorge and a broken bridge that had once allowed travelers to cross the gap. The bridge was made of stone and appeared to be ancient, almost as if it was a remnant of a distant time that none now remembered. He approached the edge of the gorge and gazed downwards. The gorge appeared to be bottomless, and it looked to be too wide to jump across. Jacob, however, still wanted to cross the gorge and see the mountains for himself. A broken bridge wasn’t going to stand in his way. It was as if a fire had been kindled in his spirit, in his soul. As he backed away from the edge, he began to hear voices, whispering voices that sounded confused and jumbled, as if these spirits had tried to cross the gorge themselves, but struggled to find a way. The more he tried to listen to what they were saying, the more jumbled and disjointed their voices became.

Regardless, Jacob backed up from the edge of the gorge and tuned out the voices as he prepared to jump. Digging his heel into the dirt, he darted forward at an incredible speed, running much faster than he ever had before. As the edge of the chasm sped towards him, he braced himself and leapt high into the air. The wind howled in his ears and blew through his hair, filling Jacob with excitement. Suddenly, doubt crossed his mind, and the thought of him falling short, missing the jump, became a frightening reality.

He missed, and the edge quickly rushed past him. Thankfully, Jacob had stretched out his hand and grasped onto a small edge below the edge of the gorge.

A jolt of pain shot through his arm and into his shoulder. He slid his feet across the rock-face as he tried to steady himself. Jacob quickly glanced down into the abyss as he kicked small bits of rock and pebbles down into the darkness. He turned back up to the cliff edge above him, struggling to hold on. The voices he had heard earlier were silenced, as if they had seen all of this happen before. To Jacob, it felt as if they had no faith in him. That he wasn’t good enough. That no matter what he did, he would always fall short.

“No!” he muttered. “I won’t fail!” As determination filled his heart, he began to pull himself upwards with all of his might. He took his other hand, which had been dangling in the air, and grasped onto the rock-face before starting to climb. His arms felt as if they were screaming.

“I am strong… AND I’LL PROVE IT TO ALL OF YOU!” he yelled as he slowly struggled upwards. Eventually, his hands grasped at the grassy ledge at the edge of the gorge. He struggled up onto the other side of the gorge, victorious. There he stood on the opposite side, beaten and battered, but alive. As he started to laugh for joy, his legs buckled underneath him, and the ground rushed to meet him. Everything faded to black, and he remembered no more.

* * *

_**Magical Creature Profile,**_ The Cable-Cleaning Croppie:

The state of Washington was once home to many varieties of strange and exciting breeds of magical fish and marine life. Since then, many of those creatures have been disbursed throughout the United States due to the improper cleaning of boats, which allows these hitchhikers to hop from lake to lake. While many invasive species of non-magical aquatic life can cause harm to their new homes, most aquatic magical creatures cause no harm to their new homes. Instead, having them come one’s lake is often seen by many witches and wizards as quite beneficial. One of the magical fishes to come out of Washington state is the Cable-Cleaning Croppie. This fish, which is only about two feet long, is known to be immensely strong, lifting as much as two tons its long thing claw that protrudes out from just under the maw of the fish. While it is immensely strong for its size, it is quite docile and only eats the muck and grime off of docks, anchors, and (most notably) cable-lines. Eggs from the Cable-Cleaning Croppie were used in Strengthening Potions in the early 1900's, but their eggs have now been defined by MACUSA as Class A Non-Tradeable goods.


	2. The Strangers and the Sea Serpent

**Chapter 2, The Strangers and the Sea Serpent:**

It was a stormy, summer night in Historic Downtown Jersey City. On the shore of the Hudson River sat Hamilton Park, a park made up of walking paths, a veranda, memorials, and old iron-wrought fences. New York City could clearly be seen covering the opposite shore of the river. It glittered brightly like a metropolitan jewel in the night. It was a familiar sight well to these inhabitants of New Jersey.

Just outside the western edge of the park sat a long row of red-brick brownstone homes. These homes sat still and silent in the night, except for one: 35W Hamilton Place. A small lamp shone out from the main-level window and the shadow of a figure could be seen behind the door. The figure then opened the door and stepped out onto the concrete steps. He then walked down to the street with a large suitcase trailing behind him.

The man was hunched over, with the collar of his large black overcoat turned up against the wind. He had long black hair that fell down the sides of his face and stark grey eyes, with an unkempt short beard hanging from his rough face. He wore old black tennis shoes and deep red leather gloves that gripped the suitcase. Quickly, New York City came into view for him. He stopped at the overlook and gazed at the skyline. It filled him with mixed emotions.

The man's name was Adam Barr, and he worked as an Electrician for the state of New Jersey. Adam had moved to 35W Hamilton Place alone ten years ago right after he graduated from Syracuse University. He had jumped across the river from his childhood home in New York City to his new home in New Jersey in order to get away from his family. His experiences with them near the end of his time there were terrible. So much so, that the idea of returning to his childhood home was repulsive to him. Still, a part of his heart always yearned to go back and re-experience all of the good times, the times when his family's insanity felt a world away.

The madness that haunted his family was cultivated many decades ago, back in the early 1900's. They believed in the conspiracy theories, but not just those made by others. They made their own, and to them, everything was connected. From Crop Circles to Sasquatch, they believed in it all. The United States, to them, was filled with all kinds of fearsome critters, spirits, and monsters. They even believed in a hidden society that lurked just beneath the surface, a society that was responsible for all of the weird and unexplained things that happened all over the country.

Adam had spent most of his childhood being ridiculed by those around him because of his family. Slowly, it had leaked out to the public that almost off of Adam's older family members passed away while stuck in an insane asylum. The more he was ridiculed, however, the harder he tried to step out of the shadow cast by his family. Regardless, their sickness persisted, until Adam cut off all communication with his family entirely. It wasn't just an effort to leave his troubled past behind, but to prove something to himself: that he wasn't like them.

That night, Adam was taking a ferry across the Hudson River to stay with an old friend of his, Eric Sterne, for a couple of days at his home in Harlem. He wanted to catch up with Adam and re-live the old days. They were both twenty-eight years old now, and they haven't seen each other for over a decade. Adam jumped at the chance to see him again, as he had no other close friends. Most days, Adam would sit alone in his house watching TV and reading books alone. He didn't know his neighbors, but he never seemed to care. It was when Eric had contacted him that he realized just how alone he truly was. Adam still remembered the first day that he had met Eric.

A ten-year old Adam was sitting alone in the cafeteria, eating a disappointing Sloppy-Joe sandwich. Suddenly, he was approached by a group of young boys led by the worst kid in his class: Dale Benson. They sat down all around him and started calling him names. Stupid, Unstable, Mentally Ill, and more. Suddenly, a young boy with a messy mop of blonde hair forced his way in and slammed his hands onto the table.

"Leave him alone!" he yelled.

The entire cafeteria immediately fell silent. A teacher with a stern look on her face then approached the table, but not before Dale and his gang had walked off. The teacher pulled Eric aside and scolded him for causing a scene. When he had finished scolding him, Eric walked back to the table where Adam was sitting. He looked sad, but defiant. When he saw Adam staring at him, he smiled and introduced himself.

"Hi! My name's Eric!"

Adam walked past Weehawken Waterfront Park and took a right at the first intersection towards the Hudson River. As he did, he approached the Lincoln Harbor Light-Rail Station. A man was sitting there alone on a bench, waiting for a train. What drew Adam's attention to him was the large pointed hat that he wore on his head. As Adam passed by the station, he looked the man over.

Aside from his pointed hat, he wore a long grey coat that reached down to his knees and a had a small cane that he held at his side. Adam couldn't see his face, as it was hidden in the shadows cast by his hat. The man was otherwise featureless. The man noticed Adam staring at him and took off his hat in order to greet him.

"Hey there, stranger!" he called to Adam. "You here for the train?" Adam turned to him and gave him a wave.

"No, I'm off to Lincoln Harbor to catch a ferry!"

The man put his hat back on and laughed. "I see. Well, make sure you don't run into Captain Sandovate's ship! I hear that he's making his way up the Hudson tonight and he's in a pretty bad mood. That five-hundred and sixty-year-old geezer wouldn't take kindly to any No-Majs messing with his ship! It helps that his ship is invisible" the man laughed again.

Adam stopped in his tracks, stared at the man, shook his head and kept walking. "Crazy old man" he whispered under his breath. Adam crossed the street and kept walking, but the man called out to him again just before he walked out of view.

"You know when the train's coming?" he asked.

Adam stopped and looked up at the sign hanging above the platform, where the time of the next train's arrival would usually be listed. To his surprise, the sign was blank.

"Sir, I don't think there's another train coming tonight" the man scoffed.

"Nonsense! The time on the sign says 11:58, and I'll have you know, the Express Train always comes to pick me up at midnight. Sure, I'm not at Newark Central Station like I usually am, but it should still make it here sooner or later!"

Adam scoffed. "Whatever" he said to him before walking off again down the road. Once he reached the end of the street a block away, however, the sound of a train reached his ears. He turned back towards the station and looked for the train. To his surprise, he didn't see any train. Thinking that he just missed it, Adam kept walking down the road until he finally reached Lincoln Harbor.

Adam made his way onto one of Lincoln Harbor's many piers that jutted out into the river. After walking through the maze of walkways and docks, he found his ferry. It was a large, two-story boat that appeared to be quite old and battered. Just in front of the boat sat an old, grizzled man with a large amount of stubble covering his wrinkled face. A flat, plaid hat sat on top of his messy grey hair and he wore a large leather coat. He was fingering a small pistol in his hand with a small bullet in the other. The man's eyes darted back and forth warily, as if he felt like he was being watched.

"Hello there!" Adam called out as he walked towards the man.

"Who's there?! the old man yelled out. He jumped up from his stool and began to wave his gun around wildly, until he noticed Adam and pointed it directly at him. "Who are you supposed to be?!"

Adam put up his hands in defense and stopped in his tracks. "I'm Adam Barr. Mr. Miller, we talked over the phone last night?" he held his hands up in defense. "You still remember me, right?"

The man, Harold Miller, suddenly calmed down and slowly nodded, dropping his gun down to his side. "Oh…yes of course, Adam. Sorry for the scare" he rubbed the side of his head as if he had a headache. "Follow me" he gestured for Adam to follow him into the boat.

Adam walked up onto the main deck and made his way towards the small set of stairs to his right. He politely waved at some of the crew before making his way down the stairs and into the cargo hold. The cargo hold was surprisingly empty, but what was there was shackled and chained to the walls, as if the captain didn't trust a single person aboard the ship. He set down his suitcase in an open stall and walked back up to the main deck. After a couple of minutes, the crew and the captain had pulled the ship out of Lincoln Harbor and they started to make their way across the Hudson.

After a while, Adam found a dry chair on the starboard side of the ship, just outside of the Captain's Cabin. He then sat down and pulled out a small book from inside of his coat. It was one of his favorites books: The Crucible. He pulled out a small pair of reading glasses and began to read the broken lines of speech, imagining the story in his mind as if it unfolded on a stage. Adam was a fan of the play and genuinely found stories about the Salem Witch Trials to be very interesting. There was always a part of him that admired the bravery of those who took a stand against the witches and how they fought hard for their freedom against the demonic forces appearing in Salem, freeing their town from the evil of witchcraft. Most of the journey passed by in silence. The only sound for a long time was the lapping of the Hudson River against the hull of the ship.

About halfway through their voyage, a loud crash suddenly broke through the night and the boat dipped towards its starboard side. It sounded like something had crashed into the ferry. Adam slid off his chair and onto the wet deck in surprise. His book slid off the edge of the deck, under the guard rail, and into the river. He growled in annoyance, as one of his favorite books was now lost. But he jerked his head back up as Harold Miller, tapped on the window behind him, motioning for Adam to join him in the cabin.

Adam's muscles groaned as he stood. The main deck was now slick to the touch, and he walked across the wooden deck and to a door labeled "Captain's Cabin". He grabbed the handle and opened the door. He quickly dived into the quarters as another tremor shook the ship.

"Did you want to talk to me?" he asked the Harold, his voice shaking. Harold glanced at him and sighed before returning his gaze to the river.

"You're scared. I can tell" he answered. Adam laughed shakily in reply.

"Gee, what gave you that idea? The fact that this boat is now shaking in the middle of a huge river? Or the fact that I'd rather not die out here on this boat?"

"I just wanted to see if you wanted to keep going or if you wanted to turn back" Harold told him solemnly. "I can give you a refund, if needed".

"Well, first of all, it would really help if you just told me what's going on!" Adam yelled as the boat shook violently gain. Various tools and knick-knacks slid off of shells and fell onto the floor with a load crash and the lights in the cabin began to flicker. Suddenly, a great roar tore through the night. Adam backed up against the wall in a sudden fit of panic. The captain stalled the boat and then ordered the crew members to drop anchor.

"Why are we dropping anchor for?!" Adam yelled as the boat shook again. "We need to get out of here!" Crewmembers were yelling amongst themselves and positioning themselves with harpoon guns. The captain sighed again in defeat.

"Well, there's really no point in running. Trust me, I've tried." The roar echoed again around them.

"PLEASE TELL ME WHAT'S HAPPENING!" Adam roared as the boat shook once again. The crewmembers fired off their harpoon guns with a _BANG!_ The water erupted around them.

"Remember how I didn't want to take you across the Hudson tonight?" he asked Adam. The man had picked up his gun again, which he now loaded with a bullet. The lights were flickering constantly now.

"Yeah?! I'm assuming this is why!" Adam yelled back at him, the boat was now shaking back and forth with no signs of stopping. When Adam had first looked for someone to take him across the Hudson to New York City, no one would take him. They all kept directing him to Harold Miller. When Adam contacted him however, he utterly refused, almost acting like doing so would be a death sentence. It was only Eric had contacted the captain that he was convinced to bring Adam across.

"The past couple of days…" Harold continued, "I've had blank spots in my memory, and it would always happen every time I reach this spot in the river at night. I would normally cross the Hudson at this time every night to get some basic supplies in New York City, but now I've been too frightened to" he said with a shudder.

The sight of what looked like giant fins and a long serpentine body now started to slither up and out of the water.

"Any idea why?!" Adam asked, slowly realizing why Harold kept a pistol with him. Still, it didn't seem like it would do much good against whatever was out there in the water.

"No…I don't" he moaned, putting his head into his hands. "Every time this happens it gets worse and worse. I thought that getting those harpoon guns for the crew would help…but I still don't know if it'll kill that monster…"

"Wait…" Adam interrupted him. "Did you say… _Monster?_ " He turned and out the window and gazed towards the Hudson.

"Yea…that thing out there is the stuff of nightmares" Harold answered.

Silence fell again, with a heavy sense of foreboding in the air. The water had turned calm, eerily calm, and the shaking had stopped. It was as if they were all holding their breath, waiting for something terrible to happen.

Suddenly, a large piercing shriek filled the air and the boat tipped steeply to the opposite side, port side, causing Adam, Captain O'Brian, and the crew members to lurch to the left. When the boat steadied itself, Captain O'Brian ran out onto the main deck.

"That sounded like Sharla's voice!" he yelled in a panic. One of their crewmembers had been dragged overboard.

The crew was in a panic, hurrying to grab life preservers and rope in an effort to drag her back onto the main deck, but the water erupted again and the continued to shake back and forth. Whatever this monster was, it was large enough to surround the whole boat. It wasn't the creature, however, that caused the boat-man's memory loss, it was what followed.

Suddenly, among the chaos, the sound of a loud _CRACK_ filled the air. It was repeated five more times before the water suddenly exploded with flashing light, just like fireworks. The monster cried out, which was deafening to the crew, Harold, and Adam, before falling silent. The boat then grew still and the waters around them grew calm.

Adam had dropped to the ground during the chaos. He rubbed his head and moaned, accidentally covering his gloves with blood from the cut that had appeared across his forehead. As the black clouds that covered his vision slowly faded away, he steadied himself and rose to his feet. Gazing out of the window towards port-side, he noticed a small group of people walking towards him from across the main deck. They stopped right in front of him and turned towards the water.

The group was comprised of three men and three women, each one of them wearing a shimmering scarf and a long overcoat that reached down to their ankles. Each one of them wore a pointed, wide-brimmed hat, just like the old-man that Adam had seen at the Train Station. Some of them gripped large briefcases in their hands, while others just held thin and slender sticks. One of them waved their stick towards the water, and to Adam's surprise, the woman that had fallen into the river slowly floated up into the air. It was as if the man was controlling her limp body's movements. The man then waved the wand towards him and guided her body back onto the main deck. The same man touched the tip of his stick to her lips and the water in her lungs suddenly bubbled out. The woman then coughed and spit up the rest of the water.

"Stupid beast" one of the strangers muttered. "It's bad enough that Sea Serpents like to play with boats on a regular basis, but we've had an entire herd of them living just outside of Manhattan for the last century" the man then utter a slight _hic_. A woman laughed in reply.

"You wouldn't be saying all of those things if you weren't drunk off of that bottle of Fire Whiskey you downed just before coming here" Fletchinger sighed before replying.

"What can I say, it's been a long day at the office!" he rubbed his face with his sleeve. "Being the head of the Body for the Protection of Magical Species isn't always fun and games. I got a letter from the Illini Native Americans that are in charge of the Piasa Reservation near Alton, Illinois. Instead of any exciting stories from one of the US's most iconic dragon reserves, it was just a request from wandmakers in Chicago for another shipment of Piasa Horn Shards to be used as wand-cores" the man scoffed before hiccupping again. "How _boring!_ Let me tell you something ms.…ms…" he stopped and tapped his forehead. "What's your name again?"

"Abby Battermole, remember? I'm the recent Ilvermorny graduate that you hired last month?"

He snapped his fingers. "Oh yes, right. Well let me tell you something Ms Battermole, ( _hic_ ) you may have some spunk…but when it comes to most of these creatures here in the states, Native American witches and wizards know how to handle them far better than we ever did, I say"

With that, Fletchinger asked Abby to pull out something called "Popping Salts", and the others left them behind and walked away, leaving Adam alone with an unconscious boat captain and two odd strangers.

"Well, at least she didn't drown" Abby said. "We managed to draw the water out of her lungs just in time"

"Yeah. Thank goodness" Fletchinger replied. "No Sea Serpent has ever actually _attacked_ any of these boats, but if they did and a No-Maj lost their life, everyone on this team, including myself, would've lost their jobs in an instant" he chuckled before uttering another _hic_.

"Maybe we should meet with the Federal Creature Reserve Bureau to try and move these Sea Serpents to a reserve in Lake Michigan?" Abby asked. "I heard that there's plenty of room out there for them"

"Nah…" Fletchinger muttered before wiping his mouth again with his sleeve. "The Bureau's got their hands full with a different reservation in Lake Ontario, a Dragon Reservation no less"

"Oh, you mean the Gaasyendietha Reservation?"

"That's the one! Those stupid dragons are covered in a chemical that ignites whenever they get agitated, turning them into giant fireballs. A couple of days ago, a man from Quebec was trying to scrape some of that slime off of one of the dragons. Little did he know that the area under their scales, where the sacs that secrete the stuff are located, is the most sensitive part on the Gaasyndietha. It then burst into flames, covered him in burns, and landed him in Ti-Jean Magical Hospital in Ontario"

"Oh, yeah I've heard about that!" Abby said. "They've been rubbing his burns with a mixture of Turn-Root and Juniper ever since"

Adam, who was still hiding in the captain's cabin, was starting to feel something that he hadn't felt for a long time: fear. His hands began to shake, and his palms started to sweat as his sanity slowly started to break down.

"It's a shame that we've had to wipe Harold's memory so many times" Fletchinger told Abby. "It's impressive that a No-Maj could endure _ten_ Memory Charms without going insane"

Adam stopped in place. His hands grew still, and his blood ran cold with terror. It was then that the woman suddenly gained consciousness.

"Wh-wh…who are you?! Where did you people come from?!" the woman asked incredulously. Fletchinger smiled at her kindly with another _hic_.

"Well, we were just sailing by and we noticed that your boat seemed to be in some sort of trouble. So we decided to make our way over and see if you all were alright. We dropped anchor just off of the starboard side of the ship"

Adam slowly rose onto his knees and glanced out towards the starboard side to get a good look at their ship.

There was no ship.

Noticing movement inside of the boat, Fletchinger turned towards the captain's cabin and peeked through the window. Adam had dropped to the floor before Fletchinger just before he could spot him.

Still, it was too late. Fletchinger had noticed movement inside of the boat and made a move to the door. Before he could open it, however, Adam had reached towards the doorknob and locked the door. Sadly, it wasn't enough. Somehow, the lock slowly began to open, much to Adam's amazement. It was as if the lock was moving on its own. There was no escape from these strangers. With that in mind, he quickly scrambled across the floor and picked up Harold's gun.

Adam quickly turned back towards the door, loaded and primed gun ready in hand. His heart was now beating rapidly like a large drum and his breathing shaky. Right as the door opened, a small and slender stick came into view. Adam opened fire on the stranger, firing off five bullets at the man.

"Stay back!" he yelled. "I'm armed and I will shoot you if you come any closer!"

Silence. Fletchinger had stopped dead in his tracks. For a brief second, Adam wasn't sure if he had hit the man or not with a bullet. As he slowly approached the door, he realized that not a single bullet hit the door. Instead, they all hung suspended in the air. Before he could react, his body crumpled to the floor as the last word he heard was:

_"Obliviate"_

* * *

_**Magical Creature Profile,** _ The Billdad:

In Maine there exists a beast known as the Billdad. It's as large as a beaver, but it has long, kangaroo-like legs that it uses to fish. When it hunts for fish, it crouches down on the shoreline of a freshwater lake and waits for a fish to come up closer to the surface. When it does, the Billdad darts forward with incredible speed and slams its large beaver-like tail onto it, stunning the fish. The Billdad then takes up the fish in its hawk-like beak before quickly bounding back to shore on its webbed feet. For any average male, they are able to jump sixty-feet out across the water from the shoreline.

The only known No-Maj sighting of a Billdad was on Boundary Pond in northwestern Maine. There, No-Majs would claim to hear the sound of a paddle slapping the surface of the pond each night, while it was really just was the sound of a Billdad fishing. While Billdads are known to be quite shy and agile, a No-Maj named Bill Murphy once caught a Billdad and cooked it. According to eye-witness accounts, upon eating the meat, his body stiffened, his eyes glazed over, and with a wild yell he ran down to the lake and jumped out fifty-yards into the water, just like a Billdad does when fishing. As a result of this tragic event, MACUSA was called in to perform mass obliviations, after which they outlawed any Billdad hunting. Since then, many mischievous witches and wizards in Maine have broken this law and have attempted to sell Billdad meat disguised as beaver meat to unsuspecting No-Majs, with expected (yet no less devastating) results. This would always cause quite a headache for those working in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at MACUSA.


	3. The Federal Owl Postal Service

** Chapter 3, The Federal Owl Postal Service: **

Jacob groggily woke up to the sound of his alarm on his bedside table blaring in his ears, just as he did yesterday. He stood up, took a shower, got dressed, and walked downstairs to the Living Room. It was still a mess, just like he had left it the night before. As he ate some breakfast, sat down on the couch, and turned on the TV, he stared off and into the distance. His strange dream he had the night before crept back to him in waves. The voices, the chasm, the forest, mountains, all of it. He could remember it. What he didn't remember was the strange things that had happened to him before the dream. As the news just kept idly talking on and on, he stood from where he sat on the couch and walked back into the kitchen to put his dishes away.

Jacob turned towards the calendar that hung in his family's kitchen. On it was listed every shift that he worked at the local supermarket. His shift today started at two o'clock, PM. It was 9:00 o'clock AM at that time. Given that he had plenty of time before he had to leave for work, he opened up his phone and checked to see if anyone had sent him a message.

There were no new messages, just like yesterday. Jacob set his phone down with a sigh and left to go use the bathroom. When he returned, he saw that his Manager at work had texted him, asking Jacob to give him a call.

Jacob's manager, Mr. Mason, was a rough individual. He was the one who hired Jacob at the supermarket as a cashier a couple of years ago, but he usually treated his employees with a no-nonsense attitude. As a result, Jacob never really got close to Mr. Mason. Jacob was the type of person that did his work and did it well, but his parents were the type to urge him on and do his best at all times. As they'd always tell him, _"You'll never know when you might need him as a reference for a future job!"_ That, along with Mr. Mason's no-nonsense attitude, often made Jacob feel like he was being tested every time he went into work. Sure, he's spent the past two years there, so it's not like he couldn't handle it, but still. Jacob hoped that he'd be able to someday find a job that unlike the one that he had now.

After some thought, he picked up his phone, dialed his manager's number, and started to walk into the kitchen. After the phone rang a couple of times, his manager picked up the phone.

"Johnson!" a gruff voice greeted him on the opposite end.

"Good morning Mr. Mason" he replied. Mr. Mason coughed before continuing.

"I need you to come into work early today. Will just called in sick, and as you know, he's the one cashier that works the morning shift"

"Oh, yeah!" Jacob replied. "I think that I'd be able to do that. When did you want me to come in?"

"Now, if you could"

Jacob suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Um…" he muttered, thrown off by Mr. Mason's sudden request. "Yeah…sure" he said. Jacob is usually thrown off by sudden changes to his schedule.

"Great!" Mason answered. "See you soon!" he then hung up the phone, leaving Jacob to his thoughts and slight frustration. He glanced at his phone one more time, hoping to see a text from one of his friends that would cheer him up, but still, no one had replied back to him.

* * *

After getting dressed in his work uniform, sliding his padlock into his pocket, and sticking his name-tag to his shirt, Jacob left the house and sat down in his car. Turning the key in the ignition and opening the garage door behind him, he slowly backed his car out of the garage and onto the street. After that, he turned and drove off down Dragsbury Lane towards Winnetka Avenue. Once he reached the Winnetka, Jacob rolled down his window and let his arm hang out the side of his car.

Jacob took a deep breath in and out. Winnetka Avenue was surrounded on both sides by trees and thick undergrowth, blocking a corn-field on one side and a group of houses on the other. The air was still humid outside from the rain the night before and the smell of fresh dirt wafted around him. What Jacob really liked was how no one else was out on the roads. He didn't expect there to be any other cars, given that it was about nine-thirty AM on a Sunday morning. Regardless, Jacob was an introvert, and enjoyed time to himself. The problem was, he was starting to get desperate for the company of his friends and family, given the strange things that happened to him yesterday and the lack of communication between him and his friends.

Just then, a large bird flew across the road. Jacob tried to get a good look at it, but it had flown into the trees before he could see what it was. He didn't even try to get a better look before continuing to drive down the road. As he did, he turned on the radio. As the static cleared, the familiar voice of Maxwell Davis, a newscaster, could be heard over the radio.

"Hello everyone! This is Max Davis, and I hope you all are having a spectacular morning! Let's get started with the morning news of the day"

Jacob turned off of Winnetka Avenue and onto the highway.

"First off, a owls have been sighted all over Minneapolis this morning. Sightings like this have not just been in Minneapolis, but all over the country! Almost all of the sightings have been reported that the owls are flying in broad daylight, which as we all know, is very unusual for owls"

Jacob turned up the radio after reaching a stoplight, keen to hear more about these owls.

"So, with us to talk about these sightings is ornithologist Brian Peterson!" Davis exclaimed. "How are you doing today Brian?"

"I'm doing great! How about yourself?" Brian replied.

"Doing good, doing good!" Davis answered. "So Brian, what do you make of all of this?"

"Well, from what I can gather, the owls that are being spotted are a mixture of diurnal and nocturnal owls. Diurnal owls, unlike Nocturnal Owls, sleep during the night and are awake during the day" he told Davis.

"Really!" Davis said. "I thought that all owls are nocturnal, just like they taught us back in elementary school" Brian laughed.

"Yes, that's what they'd like to believe. It's one of the things that makes owls such unique and interesting birds! But alas, not all owls sleep during the day. Should you spot one of these owls during the day, there should be nothing to worry about. Just keep your distance, as you would with any other predatory animal"

Jacob glanced around, wondering if he had witnessed a diurnal owl earlier.

"That's all well and good…" Davis began, "But what about the nocturnal owls? What's the deal with them?" Brian paused before replying.

"Honestly…nobody knows for sure. Some say that these owls have caught a widespread illness, but the chances are slim. So in the end, we just don't know"

"Well, that's interesting. Anything we all should do if we see an owl today?" Davis asked.

"It's as I'd say with any predatory animal. If you see an owl, keep your distance. You wouldn't want to provoke one"

With that, Jacob turned the dial on his radio to listen to some music instead before driving on to work.

After a short drive, Jacob pulled his car into a parking spot just outside of the supermarket, on the edge of a small forest. As he took his key out of the transmission, he slouched back in his chair and turned towards the supermarket. He could spend a couple of minutes in his car, right? It's not as if his manager would notice. He didn't tell him when he'd be there…so it wouldn't be a problem, right?

With these thoughts in mind, Jacob set an alarm on his watch for five minutes and reclined his chair back before beginning to relax. After a couple of minutes, he pulled out his phone. To his surprise, there was a message from his friend Carson. It read:

" _Hey Jacob! No, me and Lisa don't have anything we're going to do today. You work today?"_

Jacob, glad to hear from Carson, replied back with: _"Yeah…sadly I do. My manager called me early this morning and asked me to come in. Don't know when I'll be off"._

Carson quickly replied back to him with: _"Dang…well, we both could stop by while you're working"_ Jacob smiled. Lisa. He was going to see Lisa!

Jacob, Lisa, and Carson all met back in Elementary School, along with Carlos, and Logan. All of them were good friends and spent lots of time together over the years, but when Jacob was younger, had a large crush on Lisa. That crush, along with his feelings for her, never paid off and resulted in anything. There was always a part of him that was scared of revealing his feelings. He felt as if he ever did tell her the truth, things would change, and not for the better.

As time went on, life brought him into a relationship with a girl named Andrea. Jacob couldn't regret being in that relationship more, even if he tried. Once that ended, Jacob was left broken, alone, and somewhat bitter at how she treated him. He felt as if he had wasted so much time with her. This led him to believe that he should tell Lisa how he feels, no matter the consequences. Constantly egged on by his feelings, he finally decided that someday soon, he'd finally do it.

" _Sure!"_ he texted back. _"That'd be great"_

Suddenly, a loud _THUNK_ struck his windshield. Jacob's body jolted back in surprise. He quickly slid his phone away into his pocket and gazed at his surroundings. At first, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but after getting up and out of his car, he noticed that a letter was sitting face-down on the hood of his car. He looked around, wondering where it came from. He was alone in the parking lot, with the closest cars being parked many rows away. He jumped again as a loud _HOOT_ came from the tree above his car.

There was a small owl, sitting on the branch above him. If the owl hadn't made a sound, Jacob never would've seen it. Jacob stared at it for a couple of seconds in awe. He had never seen an owl up close before. It had bright yellow eyes, a small black beak, and it was covered in brown and white plumage. The way the feathers were arranged on its face made it appear very surprised. The owl hooted at him again, but this time it shook a small bag at him, one that was attached around its foot. The owl did this a couple more times, but eventually it gave up and flew away.

After standing there, thinking about this strange encounter. Jacob smiled.

"That was pretty cool" he muttered to himself.

With that, he turned back towards the letter and picked it up without hesitation. The letter was relatively heavy in his hand, and it was closed with a deep-blue seal. Above this wax seal was a strange emblem imprinted on the envelope. It depicted a snake, what looked like a goblin, a large cat, and a bird. Above it was the words: "Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry". At the bottom of the letter was also printed the words: "Courtesy of the Federal Owl Postal Service".

Jacob had no idea what any of it meant. As a matter of fact, he was more confused than anything. Was this some sort of joke? Magic doesn't exist. And a _school?_ He didn't want any weirdos sending some sort a letter to him just so he could join a stupid cult. The urge to toss the letter off into the brush suddenly crossed his mind, but still, given his recent encounter with that strange dog in the forest, he didn't completely dismiss this letter. Did that owl bring him this letter?

He turned the letter over to the front side and saw the address. It was addressed in deep-pink, almost red, ink. It read: _"Mr. Jacob Johnson, 3206 Dragsburg Lane, Upper Level, Second Bedroom on the Left-Hand Side, Minneapolis, Minnesota._

"That's weird…" Jacob whispered. "How do they know which bedroom is mine?"

All of a sudden, Mr. Mason startled him with his booming voice.

"JACOB!" he shouted as he stood just outside of the entrance to the supermarket.

Jacob quickly turned towards him. "Yes…sorry Mr. Mason!" he called. "I'll be there in a second!" He quickly fumbled around, grabbed his keys out of his car, locked the car, and started to run towards Mr. Mason with his letter in-hand.

Mr. Mason grumbled and walked back inside, but not before calling out to Jacob as he ran inside, saying "We need you on Register Six"

Jacob nodded and quickly walked back to the Break-Room. In the room sat a wall of lockers. He pulled out his padlock out of his pocket and unlocked it. He idly set his letter down on a nearby table and slid his phone into the locker. Turning back towards the letter, he stared at it for a brief moment, wondering what it all meant. He glanced at the trash-can on the opposite side of the room, and he debated with himself again if he wanted to keep the letter. Picking it up, Jacob walked towards the trash can and held the letter up over all of the junk and garbage inside.

For some strange reason, he couldn't let it go. His heart wouldn't let him. Jacob sighed and set the letter down on top of his phone inside of the locker. He looked it over one last time, before shutting the locker door.

* * *

Jacob stood behind the cash register and slid groceries past the scanner, one after the other. He had been doing this for the past hour, asking "Paper or Plastic?" to each and every customer that came through his lane. As time went on and on, he grew more and more complacent and bored. When he had first arrived, thoughts about the strange letter had faded from his mind. The thoughts were replaced by a desire to go, to leave, to just go somewhere else. Anywhere else. Jacob often wondered if that desire was a part of how childish he was. Even though he had only turned eighteen a couple of months ago, he felt as if he should act like an adult _now_. With that in mind, Jacob walked towards the end of his lane at the first chance he had. He then started to look around, wondering if there was anyone that he could help.

The store was filled with racks of clothes and groceries in all directions. Shelves were filled with so many different items of all different prices. Mannequins stood as still as stone near the clothing sections, and the smooth, white linoleum floor shone under the pale lights hanging from the ceiling.

After he reached the end of his lane, Jacob noticed an old woman that stood alone near the beauty section with a large basket of groceries hanging from her arm. She appeared to be confused, as if she was wondering where to go next. After overcoming the sudden desire to leave her alone, Jacob approached her.

"Hi there ma'am!" Jacob said with a smile and a small wave. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

The old woman looked at him and smiled. She wore a thin purple scarf around her neck over a blue cardigan. She wore blue square glasses and a black skirt that reached down to her feet. Her basket was filled with hair coloring, various tabloids, and a rubber duck.

"No…I don't think so" the old woman told him. "I think I'm done"

Jacob gestured over to his checkout lane. "Well, I could scan your groceries if you like"

"Would you?" she asked. "Oh thank you…you're such a dear!" she smiled again before following Jacob over to his lane.

Jacob walked towards the register and began scanning her hair products.

"Would you like Paper or Plastic?" he asked.

"Plastic" she replied.

After swiping a couple of her items across, the old woman started talking to Jacob.

"Have you heard about the owl sightings everywhere?"

Jacob stopped in his tracks, bar-code halfway over the scanner. He thought for a second and remembered the small owl from earlier this morning. The strange letter, and where it sat in his locker, flashed through his mind. He shook his head before continuing to scan her groceries.

"Yeah I have. Weird stuff if you ask me"

The old woman laughed. "Of course someone like _you_ would say that"

Jacob stopped and looked up at her. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked with a confused smile on his face.

"Well…you No-Majs aren't as comfortable with owls as we are" she said before smiling. "It's nothing personal. I think it's great! I'm so glad that everyone else gets to enjoy our feathery friends as we do"

Jacob shook his head before continuing on with the groceries. As he scanned the last item the woman had, he asked her, "Has this just been happening in Minnesota?"

"Oh, no" she answered. "It's been happening all over the country!"

"Really?" Jacob said.

"Yes…" she answered. "Surprisingly, we're the only country in the world that's experiencing this. Some say it's an _American Awakening_ …"

The old woman trailed off and said no more. Jacob, now finding her very odd in every regard, printed out her receipt, and wished her a good day before she left. Her last statement left Jacob as confused as ever. His thoughts slowly trickled back to his letter, which still sat in his locker, but now it felt as if it was waiting, waiting for him to open it and see what's inside.

Just then, the smiling faces of his two friends, Carson and Lisa, popped into the checkout lane.

"Oh hey!" Jacob exclaimed, "It's great to see you guys!" Carson was tan, had dark brown hair, and green eyes. He was only a little bit shorter than Jacob. He wore a black shirt, tan shorts, and black sneakers. They both had spent a lot of time hanging-out together with Lisa and their other friends, Steven and Bethany. but standing close-by was Lisa.

Jacob's heart grew warm and soft at the sight of her. It was only because of the strange events happening to him recently that he had forgotten about her.

"Hey Jacob!" Carson said with a smile. Just then, Lisa walked back out of the lane and turned towards the aisles.

"Where are _you_ going?" Carson asked with a smile and a wink. She turned back and smiled at him. Jacob stopped and stared at them. Were they… _flirting?!_

"Wouldn't you like to know" she smiled back and winked back at him. "I'm just going to get some more groceries for our lunch today. We forgot the bananas" She then walked off.

Jacob, now growing quite flustered, looked at Carson and saw his eyes follow Lisa as she walked off.

"Am I… ** _missing_** something _?_ " Jacob asked, struggling to keep his emotions in check.

Carson turned back towards him, at first confused, but then he laughed. "Oh, yeah that's right, we forgot to tell you!"

Jacob's face turned stone cold and his heart sank. He knew what Carson was about to tell him. "Tell me what" he said.

"I asked out Lisa on a date a couple of nights ago, a couple of days before your Grad-Party!"

"Did you really" he answered.

"Yep! We went on a date that same night. It went really well!"

"Oh, did it? That's great…" Jacob answered. He was struggling to hold himself together now. Tears were now forming on the edge of his eyes. After sliding a bottle of olive oil across the scanner, he nonchalantly wiped his eyes, hiding the tears from Carson. He kept the bottle of olive oil in his hands. It was as if his hands didn't want to let it go.

"Yep!" Carson continued. "It turns out that we've both had feelings for each other for a long time, but both of us were always too nervous to say anything!"

The bottle of olive oil slid out of his hands and landed on the scanner with a _BANG_. Jacob stared down at his hands, which were now shaking. One question filled his mind:

How could this have happened?

Carson stopped and looked at him, finally noticing Jacob's behavior. "Hey man…you alright?"

Jacob started to laugh. It was quiet at first, but soon grew louder and louder until he was laughing so hard that his side was starting to hurt.

"What's so funny, Jacob?" Carson asked, who was now starting to get angry with him. People were starting to stop and stare at them. "Dude, cut it out!" he whispered to Jacob.

"Oh!" Jacob exclaimed, gasping for air. "Sorry… _ha-ha-ha!_ I just think it's pretty funny how this is the first time I'm hearing about all of this…" he continued to laugh. "Oh man…" he gasped. "Good stuff… _ha-ha_ …good stuff indeed!"

Carson stared at him with a look of disgust on his face. "Dude…I thought that you'd be happy for us!"

"Oh no…trust me, _I'm beaming with pride!_ " Jacob exclaimed. Mr. Mason was starting to stare at him now, wondering what had gotten into him. It was then that Lisa came back.

"What's going on…?" she saw Jacob laughing. "Hey Jacob, what's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing! Nothing at all!" he said as he continued to laugh. With every moment that passed, with every laugh he uttered, his heart continued to crack, slowly breaking in two.

Lisa turned towards Carson. " _What the hell did you say to him?!_ " she asked incredulously.

Carson turned towards her and raised up his hands in defense. "I just told him about how we're dating and then he just broke down!"

Lisa turned towards Jacob and watched in sadness as he continued to laugh, not knowing what was wrong with him. Jacob turned back towards her and saw her face filled with sadness and confusion. Under normal circumstances, seeing her like this would lead him to do anything that he could to make her feel better. But now…

He could've cared less.

"Jacob…please tell me what's wrong!" she said to him vehemently. Mr. Mason then walked up behind Jacob and asked, "Johnson, you alright?"

The sudden display of concern from this manager, a manager that Jacob had never really liked, shook him out of the hysteria. He looked over his shoulder towards Mr. Mason.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Carson just told me something that was really _hilarious!"_

Carson and Lisa stared at him in shock.

"Well, if that's the case, get their groceries checked out quickly. We need you on Lane 17". He then walked away. Carson and Lisa continued to stare at him.

"You know what…" Jacob began before falling silent. He then looked both of them in the eyes.

"Get the hell out of here. Leave me alone"

Their receipt printed, Jacob stuffed it in their bag, and held it out for them to grab. They just continued to look at him.

"Well?" he asked. "What are you waiting for? I told you to get the hell out of here and leave me alone, so why aren't you doing it? I'm due to help on Lane 17" He turned the light off on his lane.

Carson shook his head, grabbed the bag, and walked away. Lisa, however, just stood there and stared at him, tears forming in her eyes.

" _Jacob…"_ she whispered.

"What?" he looked at her, the smile disappearing from his face. "What do you want from me?"

"Jacob…" she began, "I _love_ him. Why is that so difficult for you to understand?"

He scoffed. "Oh, no I understand that loud and clear. Just get out of here. Don't start acting like you care about how I feel" he stopped and looked her dead in the eyes.

"Apparently…you never did"

With that, he shut his light off, and left for Lane 17 on the opposite side of the room, leaving Lisa to stand there alone, wondering what went wrong.

* * *

Jacob stood alone in the Employee Break Room five hours later. No one was in there, as the lunch rush had passed. His shift was over, but his hands still felt numb from treating Lisa and Carson the way he did. He knew it wasn't right and that it wasn't fair to them, but he didn't care. Instead, he hastily unlocked his locker, grabbed his phone and letter, and left without a second thought.

He quickly walked out to his car under the shadow of the trees. The sound of cars speeding past on the highway and the sound of birdsong filled his ears. As he pulled out his keys, just as he always did after work, he unlocked his car, opened the door, and sat down, tossing his phone and the letter into the passenger seat next to him.

After sticking his keys into the ignition, Jacob froze. Thoughts about the letter flowed over him. He turned towards the letter, grabbed it without a second thought, and ripped the top of the letter open, sliding out the piece parchment that was inside.

* * *

_**Magical Creature Profile,**_ The Agropelter:

The Agropelter is chimp-like creature native to the forests of the Pacific Northwest, specifically those in southern Washington and Oregon. The Agropelter is covered in glossy, dark green hair all over its body and around its face, which always appears to be scrunched up in an angry glare. The most distinguishing feature of the Agropelter, however, are its long arms, which reach up to six feet in length. Anatomically, the arms of the Agropelter act like noodles and springs, growing and shrinking at will. It uses its long arms to break dead branches off of trees, hurling them downwards from it perch towards whoever may be passing through their territory, which it fiercely protects.

While the Agropelter isn’t known to cause any fatal accidents (as it has dreadful aim), it’s known to be quite mischievous and vengeful. The best way for any Magizoologist to deal with an Agropelter is to feign ignorance and then restrain the Agropelter while its arms are fully extended. (Many students then proceed to forget about the sudden piece of timber plummeting towards them at an alarming rate and suffer a fair bruise as a result).


	4. The American Awakening of Magic

** Chapter 4, The American Awakening of Magic: **

Jacob flipped the letter upside down and poured its contents onto his lap. It had been stuffed to the brim with old pieces of paper, all which were covered black text. It was as if they all had written using a typewriter. Every piece of paper had been stamped with a bright red insignia, a fiery bird with the American Flag covering its chest. One of the papers among the mess had the words _WAND PERMIT_ stamped across the top of it. A small, glittering strip of paper was attached to it with a wax seal. It appeared to be a train ticket with the phrase _“Steal Away”_ written across the top of it.

Jacob stared at the pile of papers before looking each one of them older. Nothing they said made any sort of sense to him, as he still felt numb and emotionally shaken from earlier today. He was doing his best to forget about Lisa and Carson, but it just wasn’t working. He had been friends with them for as long as he could remember, but now, they just felt like his worst enemies. He knew that they were anything but that, but any thought of sympathy towards them or remorse for what he did felt insulting. Not just to his own feelings, but to the level of self-respect that he knew he deserved. It felt wrong, suppressing and warping his emotions like this, but he didn’t know what else to do.

Jacob set the papers down onto his lap, but not before the image of a crying Lisa flashed across his mind. He squirmed in immense discomfort and clenched his fists, angrily shaking that terrible thought out of his mind. As he did, some papers fell onto the floor of the car and some slipped between his chair and the wall. As he continued to squirm in his chair, something large and heavy slid off of his lap and onto the floor of the car with a loud _CLANK_. Jacob looked down and to his surprise, he saw a large golden necklace sitting there on the dirty floor of his car, right between his feet. He pressed his face up against the steering-wheel and reached for the necklace.

It was heavy in his hands. The chain was locked with a small metal clasp and covered in gold. The pendant was also covered in gold, but the pendant was shaped like a Celtic knot, a Triquetra. It was free from any markings of engraving, but the clasp on the chain had the word _“Family”_ engraved into it. The more Jacob looked at it, the more he grew to like it. With a dazed smiled on his face, he unlatched the clasp of the chain and wrapped it around his neck. Jacob looked down at the knot and continued to smile half-heartedly before staring off into space.

Tears started to form in Jacob’s eyes, but he didn’t know why. A tear-drop fell onto the papers in front of him, on the paper that read _“Congratulations!”_ He slowly reached his hands up to his eyes and wiped his tears onto his hand. He looked down at his now glistening fingertips. The image of Carson and Lisa together filled his mind. His heart grew heavy in his chest, and an important realization finally dawned on him. No matter how right he felt, no matter how angry or hurt he was…

He couldn’t keep doing this.

“If they’re genuinely happy together…why should I not be happy for them?” he muttered. He turned the keys in the ignition, bringing his car to life.

_I love him, why is that so difficult to understand?!_

Jacob’s chin slowly tilted down and onto his chest.

“My feelings don’t matter” he muttered. “And to think…for a moment I thought that they did”

Tears started to form in his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away before they could get out of hand. He moved to set his hand on the stick-shift, but not before remembering the large pile of papers on his lap. A sudden wave of anger washed over him. He took up the papers in his hands and shoved the car-door open. He ran over to the supermarket’s entrance and shoved the entire stack of papers into a public trash can. He ran back to his car, slammed the door shut, and drove home. As tears started to form in his eyes once again, he made no effort to stop them.

After driving for a while, Jacob pulled his car into the garage and lumbered out of the driver’s seat, his tears still wet on his face. He was sobbing silently, shaking his head, and reprimanding himself under his breath for his actions. His shoes from his run yesterday still sat as he had left them, in a pile near the door into his house. Tapping on the remote hanging on the wall, he closed the door to the garage, listening to the signature creaking of the old metal door. In the dark, he fumbled around with his keys, unlocked the door, and went inside.

Part of him expected to see his parents, like he usually would. After walking into the kitchen, he realized that he wasn’t so lucky. They were still off at the cabin, hanging out with their friends. With a sigh, he tossed his keys onto the kitchen table and got dressed into casual clothing. His eyes were now red from crying so much and his dark brown hair was now all over the place. The light that normally shone in his eyes had gone dark and was replaced by a look of pure disappointment, reflecting just how defeated and beaten down he felt inside.

As he pulled on his _Minnesota Vikings_ shirt, a loud _THUNK_ echoed out from downstairs, as if a bird had hit the window. Curious as to what it was, Jacob made his way downstairs and to the sliding doors on his deck, where the sound had come from. There stood another owl with a letter clamped in its beak, addressed to him, sitting there on the deck.

They were trying to send him another letter.

Jacob, in a sudden act of rage, started to scream at the owl.

“LEAVE ME ALONE !!!” he screamed. “I DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOU AND YOUR LETTERS, OR YOU AND YOUR STUPID SCHOOL !!!”

Jacob grew red with fury and tossed a book, some papers, and even his keys at the owl, screaming _“GO AWAY !!!”_ until he had his face pressed up against the glass and was striking the glass with his fists.

“JUST LEAVE. ME. ALONE !!!” he screamed as tears once again continued to stream down his face.

“Jacob?” a voice whispered behind him. “What’s wrong?”

He turned towards the sound of the voice, and to his surprise, he saw his mother standing there, with his father standing only a few steps behind her. Both of them gazed longingly at him in concern. His mother had what looked like a newspaper scrunched together in her hands. 

Jacob had never been so glad to see both of his parents in his entire life. He rushed towards them and hugged his mother as if he hadn’t seen her in years. His Dad soon followed, hugging them both from the side.

“Jacob, honey…please tell us what’s bothering you” she told him as she stroked his hair and comforted him.

“Mom…today’s been so difficult. So much has happened that I have to tell you about” He sniffed.

“Is it about your acceptance letter?” his Dad asked.

Jacob stopped and turned to look up at him.

“H-how do you know about that…?” he whispered. Just then, the door opened behind them. Out stepped a middle-aged woman. Jacob recognized her immediately.

Her name was Alison Eversol, their neighbor from down the street. She was taller than Jacob and had curly, light blonde hair. Her face was filled with wrinkles, but her smile was bright.

“Jacob, hi there!”

“Mrs. Eversol…?” he said in confusion. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh…I’m just here to _enlighten_ you” she smiled again, pulling her hands out from behind her back to reveal a long thin piece of wood that was elegantly carved with leaves and vines.

“What’s that…?” he asked, but she quickly interrupted him and walked towards the sliding glass-door.

“Oh Jacob, c’mon! I thought you’d know better” she unlocked the door and slid it open, letting in a cold draft of air. “This owl means you no harm! He’s just doing his job” Mrs. Eversol then pulled out a small handful of coins from her pocket. She counted them out, slid them into the small pouch attached to the owl’s talons, and then took the letter from its beak. “It’s a good thing that they’re sending out the kind owls, not the feisty ones” Jacob turned away from his parents and approached Mrs. Eversol with a look of awe on his face.

“You…you know about all of this?” he asked her. “How?”

She laughed. “There’s so much that you don’t know!” she pointed towards his parents. “They knew about all of this, but they never thought that you’d be magical, just like your grandparents were”.

“My…grandparents?” Jacob wondered aloud. “What does this have to do with them?”

“Well…just about everything!” Mrs. Eversol answered. “They’re the last ones in your family to have magic, before both of your parents were determined to be Squibs” She approached Jacob, who was now staring at her in shock. “But now…here you are! The first of your kind! The first descendant of any Squib to have any shred of magic within them. Well, at least the first one that I’ve met, anyway. They’ve been calling this _The American Awakening of Magic_ and people like you are _The Children of Magic_. It’s also a nice shred of luck that MACUSA had assigned me to you, given your family’s history with mine. It’s almost as if I finally have a child of my own, someone whose hand I get to hold as I show them into this brand-new world!”

Jacob began to laugh. “You keep throwing these words around…” Jacob he muttered. “Magic, Squib, MACUSA, Awakening…please just tell me what you mean instead of keeping me in the dark” he angrily pointed a finger at her. “You talk as if I’m just a stupid kid that knows nothing of the world. There’s nothing that I don’t know, just things that I know now and things that I will know in the future” he staggered towards her, sticking his shoulders back as he did so. “I don’t know if you heard my screams when you arrived…but I’m not really having a good day today. Treat me as if I’m actually a person instead of a child, or else I might just have to go back to screaming at that owl”

He didn’t know where this sudden burst of indignation had come from, but he knew that he wouldn’t let her walk all over him like this, not after going through what he had to face today. Both of his parents gazed at him in concern, but they said nothing.

Mrs. Eversol stared at Jacob and looked him over. It was hard for Jacob to see just what she was thinking, but he had gotten through to her. She sighed and walked over towards him. “I’ve never seen this side of you before” she told him. “I’m still so used to the soft-spoken boy that had moved into this neighborhood all those years ago” she held out the letter to him. “Given the current state of things…I guess you’ll need that spark. This newfound courage”

Jacob took up the letter in his hands. It was lighter than the last letter, but otherwise it looked exactly the same, almost as if he had never opened the last letter or had thrown it away. He ripped off the top of the letter, much more gently this time, and slid out the bundle of papers. Walking over to their kitchen table, he laid out the pieces of paper. Once again, he saw the Wand Permit and Train Ticket. He set them off to the side. He then opened the first letter in his hands and began to read it.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ILVERMORNY SCHOOL _of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Dear Mr. Jacob Johnson,

We are pleased to inform you that after much deliberation by the Minnesotan Council of Things, you have been chosen as the sole Male Student from the state of Minnesota to attend Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Fall. All other students from Minnesota have been sent to Minnesakowin, Minnesota’s School of Magic.

In this letter, which is different from that of the usual acceptance letter, you will find a variety of important documents, such as an application for a Wand Permit, a ticket and reservation for your journey on the Underground Railroad, and a list of all necessary books and equipment. Please review these documents as soon as you are able.

Term begins on September 4th.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BASIC UNIFORM

All first-year students will need:

  1. Three sets of plain work robes (standard Ilvermorny Colors)
  2. One pair of Protective Gloves (Dragon-Hide or Similar)
  3. One plain pointed hat (dark blue) for day wear
  4. One Winter-Coat (blue with golden fastenings)



FORMAL UNIFORM

For formal events (which are held periodically throughout the term), students will need the following:

  1. For Women: 
    1. One Plaid Skirt (colored Blue and Cranberry)
    2. One Suit Coat (Cranberry with Gold Buttons)
    3. Dress-Shoes


  1. For Men: 
    1. One Suit Coat (Blue with Gold Buttons)
    2. One pair of Dress-Pants (Cranberry)
    3. Dress-Shoes


  1. One Blue and Cranberry Tie (striped)



Be sure to pick-up the “Ilvermorny Essentials” package from any participating stores, which will include the remaining essentials needed for Ilvermorny Students (free of charge). Also be aware that all students must have their names written legibly inside of their clothing, as well as have their house’s badge clearly visible on their uniform at all times.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COURSE MATERIALS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

  * _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_
    * _By Miranda Goshawk_
  * _An Updated History of Magic_
    * _By Artemis Bagshot_
  * _Magical Theory and its Applications_
    * _By Adalbert Waffling_
  * _A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration_
    * _By Emeric Switch_
  * _Chadwick’s Charms, Volume 1_
    * _By Chadwick Boot_
  * _American Magical Herbs and Fungi_
    * _By Proto Chromia_
  * _Magical Drafts and Potions_
    * _Arsenius Jigger_
  * _The North American Beastiary_
    * _By Jaeger A Travers_
  * _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_
    * _By Quentin Trimble_



\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand and Wand Permit (non-expired)

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 telescope

1 set of brass scales

Students may also bring (if they desire), and owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE TO BE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jacob set the letter back down with a blank look covering his face. “Well…” he said. “That’s a lot to take in, isn’t it”.

Mrs. Eversol nodded. “Normally you’d be introduced to all of this when you turned eleven years-old, but you Children of Magic are a special case. Students would normally be graduating from Ilvermorny at your age, not being admitted for the first time”

“There’s that phrase again… _The Children of Magic_. What does that mean?” Jacob asked.

Mrs. Eversol turned towards his parents. “You brought a copy of _The_ _Seven-Lakes Tribune,_ right?” she asked. “It’s always easier to show him what I’m talking about rather than taking the time to explain it”

“Yes, I have it right here” Jacob’s mother replied. “I brought it with me from the cabin”

She handed the newspaper in her hands to Jacob.

The top of the paper read _THE SEVEN-LAKES TIMES_. Below it was the words “THE CHILDREN OF MAGIC ARE BORN”. It read:

_Last night at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Typewriter of Choosing was found to be busy at work. Late at night, Professor Jessica Fyr (of Missouri) had been walking past the room where the typewriter is stored. To her surprise, it had been writing out names nonstop for the past hour._

_All Acceptance Letters had been sent out the night before, so the sudden burst of names had left Ilvermorny’s Staff confused and befuddled. After studying the list of names for over an hour, Headmaster Agilbert Fontaine was shocked to find the name of his own son on the list._

_For all of his life, Gerald Fontaine had no magic. He was as ordinary as a No-Maj. At the age of twenty-two, he had finished his education at the University of Southern Maine, a No-Maj school. After Agilbert had summoned his son to the castle, he had him cast a spell. To his surprise, Gerald was as magical as his father was._

_That very same night, MACUSA had summoned all of The Representatives to their headquarters in Washington DC. Among them was the Jarl from the Council, Steven Aalgoth. We have reached out to him for an interview or comment on the issue, but he has failed to respond back at this time. Instead, it was Samuel G. Quahog, our current President, who released the following statement:_

_“It is clear that the Awakening of Magic has significantly impacted the lives of American Witches and Wizards. At the moment, it isn’t clear how our fellow witches and wizards abroad are handling this event or whether they are experiencing such an event at all. As your President, I pledge to you all that we, your MACUSA, will handle this issue with our primary focus being containment and safety. The Children of Magic may expose the Wizarding World, should we fail to take the proper steps moving forward. In addition, we will send word to the International Confederation of Wizards in the coming hours and request an emergency meeting. This will be done in order to determine the best course of action moving forward. These steps (in full) are still being determined, but what has been determined is as follows._

_All Children of Magic will be sent to their state’s school (until further notice) for an education, as all known Children of Magic are between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one (which is still young enough for an education). While Ilvermorny is the internationally recognized as the School of Magic for the North American Continent, each state will be permitted to send one male and one female student to Ilvermorny (choosing this student will be done at their own discretion)”_

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jacob set the newspaper back down onto the table, but before it landed, it began to float upwards in the air. It bumped into the light hanging above their kitchen table and eventually just sat there on the ceiling. It was almost as if gravity had been reversed. Jacob reached up on his toes, grabbed the paper and forced it back down onto the table. Jacob stared at the newspaper in shock, but Mrs. Eversol just smiled instead.

“Well…” she laughed. “I guess that proves it! You’re one of the Children of Magic. Not only that, but you’ve been lucky enough to be sent to Ilvermorny, my _alma mater!_ ”

Jacob’s parents approached him.

“Jacob…I don’t know what to say” his mother told him with a smile. “We never thought that you would be sent to Ilvermorny, one of the greatest magical schools in the world!” she smiled.

“Yeah!” his father chimed in. “Both of us have always dreamed of getting into Ilvermorny, but we were never magical. We thought it would be best if you never knew about our family’s history. Just so you didn’t have to experience the pain and longing that we both did. But now…everything’s different! You can now live the life that we’ve always dreamed of living” They pulled him in tightly and close.

“We couldn’t be any prouder of you” his mother whispered.

Jacob smiled.

“So…I’m a wizard” he sighed. “Wow…just, wow”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Far off across the country, Adam sat hunched over the small table in Eric’s apartment, watching cars drive by in the night. It was his second day at Eric’s apartment, and the apartment was as old as it smelled. Wallpaper that was many years old still hung on the walls. Some of it was even taped together in places after it had started to peel. The carpet was old as well, being very frayed in many places. It was even gone in others. They had spent the past couple of days playing cards, watching Baseball on TV, and drinking beer from the local Liquor Store. In other words…

It was paradise.

He arched his back and stretched yawn before falling back into his chair. Adam smiled, glad to finally be out of his self-imposed isolation and with one of his oldest, and possibly only, friend.

Adam stood up from his chair, grabbed the trash-can, and began clearing away the garbage from the room. He made his bed, which had sat in a bedraggled mess off in the corner of the room. After that, he sat back down on his chair, grabbed the remote, and turned the TV on to the Sports Channel. Just then, Eric opened the door and walked inside.

“Hey man! I’m back!” he called out to Adam, his arms full of grocery bags.

“Hey there!” Adam replied back.

Eric walked over to the counter and set the bags down. He then started to put the groceries away in their proper spots in the cabinet.

“Hey Adam?”

“Yeah? What’s up?”

Eric stopped putting the groceries away and turned to face Adam. “Are you still haunted by the past? By your family’s past?”

Adam turned to face him. “Well…no. I’d like to think that it doesn’t. Why do you ask?” Eric pulled up a seat across the table from him.

“Because I overheard someone at the Supermarket just now talking about things like that”

“…what were they saying?” Adam asked.

“Well, just stuff about wands, magic, brooms, and more. It was the type of stuff your family was going on about as they took them away, right?”

The sudden image of his mother screaming flashed across his mind. “THEY’RE HERE !!” she had screamed, her mascara running down her face as she tore her hair out. “WITCHES AND WIZARDS ARE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES!! THEY’RE MANIPULATING US! TORTURING US! MAKING US FORGET WHO WE ARE!!” She was now screeching, and her voice was growing hoarse. 

“BEFORE LONG…THEY WILL HAVE TAKEN OVER THIS COUNTRY AND THE ENTIRE WORLD!! WE NEED TO STOP THEM!! WHY AREN’T YOU LISTENING TO ME?!!” She had been flailing her arms and legs around wildly as the police restrained her. “LET ME GOOOO!!!” she continued to scream as they finally restrained her and took her away.

Adam could still remember the tears streaming down his face as he watched them restrain her and take her away. He didn’t understand why he was crying, and for the rest of his life, he never did. All he could remember was the police officer comforting him afterwards.

“Remember kid…” he had told him. “There’s no such thing as magic” he then had pulled Adam into a warm hug.

Adam set his hands down on the table. “Yeah…something like that”

Eric laughed. “Well, it’s probably those nutjobs that caused you and your family so much trouble. I mean…there’s no such thing as magic!” he laughed again. “That’s why…” he pulled out a long piece of wood and set it down on the table. “I nicked the nutjob’s ‘wand’ for ya”

Adam looked at it carefully. Suddenly, a nagging memory resurfaced in the back of his mind.

“You know…” he began. “I’ve seen this before, in a dream. The dream I had last night. I was in the middle of a forest, some sort of forest that I knew like the back of my hand. I had wandered beyond the edge of the forest and began making my way on a dirt path across an open field to the mountains in the distance”

Eric listened to him respectfully and intently.

“Eventually…” Adam said. “I reached a bridge that had fallen, and I had heard voices. On the opposite side of the bridge sat that piece of wood. Since I had no desire to turn back, I chose to jump and grab the wand. I had cleared the gap easily and the voices had faded. Just as I had picked up the wand, the sky grew dark, and the clouds red. The mountains then crumbled into dust and I felt as if I had conquered the world…conquered death”

Eric looked at him in concern. “It was just a dream though…right?”

Adam nodded and laughed nervously. “Yeah…yeah you’re right. I’m okay” Eric reached across the table and grabbed his shoulder.

“Listen…if you ever need me or my help, I’ll always be there for ya. Just as I’ve always been”

He smiled, and Adam smiled back. “Thanks man” he said.

“Now…let’s give this stupid wand a whirl!” Eric told him. Adam laughed.

“Alright…” they then stood up in front of the TV and Adam had the wand in his hand. He pointed it at Eric.

“Give me your best spell!” Eric told him. Adam smiled and laughed, knowing that he was only doing this to prove to Adam just how crazy his family was.

There’s really no such thing as magic!

He announced loudly to Eric, “Abra Kada – wait …” he stopped before muttering to himself. “Ah yes!” he said. _“Avada Kedavra!”_

Suddenly a great _BANG_ filled the room like a gunshot. A great burst of green light erupted from the end of the wand. It then struck Eric and sent him flying back into the wall, cracking the window behind him. He then fell to the ground and didn’t move or breathe.

Adam, in horror and anger, fell to his knees in the silence that now filled the room.

“There’s no such thing as magic…there’s no such thing as magic…” he muttered under his breath. Suddenly he realized that his whole life had been a lie. The world was an insane asylum, and his family were the only ones who were sane.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**_ Magical Creature Profile, The Sasquatch: _ **

The Sasquatch is a beast native to North America. It is known to be 6-10 ft tall and is covered in hair from head to toe, except on its hands and significantly large feet. While efforts to conceal the Sasquatch population from the non-magical world had been significantly increased since the Great Sasquatch Rebellion of 1892, most efforts to conceal the Sasquatch have now been mostly relegated to their own discernment, resulting in only a small amount of sightings. While their population is fairly large and is known to wander around the United States, Sasquatches are known to have a slight distaste for humans, avoiding them whenever possible, which is helped by their innate magic to disappear without a trace, leaving no more than string of footprints.


	5. The Magical Mall of America

** Chapter 5, The Magical Mall of America: **

Even after a week had passed, Jacob was still amazed by his newfound abilities. If he concentrated hard enough, he could make small objects float in the air, even without proper training. All of it left him at a loss for words. Expressing the joy and wonder that he felt was nothing short of a monumental task. To make matters even more amazing, Mrs. Eversol kept reminding him of how this was “only the tip of the iceberg”, and that once he attended Ilvermorny, he would be able to fly, turn invisible, and do so much more. All of the pain and sorrow that he felt from his encounter with Lisa and Carson had now faded into obscurity. In comparison to the joy he felt now, it all felt like a bad dream, one that would soon be forgotten.

Ever since Jacob was sent his letter, both he, his parents, and Mrs. Eversol had been planning extensively how he would prepare for the school year. The first thing he would need are his school supplies, which they would be buying from a department store located in Bloomington, Minnesota. According to Mrs. Eversol, it’s the biggest department store for Magical Goods and Services in the entire country and it’s known to have almost everything a witch or wizard would ever need. Whether it be parchment that can turn periwinkle when you snap your fingers, or a cauldron that can laugh like a hyena, you could find it there. Mrs. Eversol would be driving them there, but before they could go, she had to meet with Jacob first and explain some important things to him. That’s why she came to their house early that morning in late August.

Jacob sat in the Living Room, trying his best to make all of these knick-nacks float to him from across the room. Just as he was trying to lift an old vase through the air, the doorbell rang. Jacob was startled by the noise and broke his concentration. The vase fell through the air and shattered into pieces on the floor. Jacob lunged forward with a hasty _Sorry!_ before aggressively attempting to put it back together with his mind. Jacob’s mother, laughing at the sight of her son trying to fix it, walked towards the door and pulled it open, letting Mrs. Eversol step foot into their house.

“Good morning!” Mrs. Eversol said with a smile.

“It is! Isn’t it?” Jacob’s mom replied back.

Mrs. Eversol was dressed in an unusual outfit that morning. On the top of her head sat a pointy, wide-brimmed hat. She wore golden half-moon spectacles and covering her back was a light gray travelling cloak, which was clasped around her neck with a beautiful purple clasp. Reaching down to her knees was a brown linen dress and on her feet were brown leather moccasins. Clasped around her wrists were iron cuffs embedded with red and yellow gemstones, while over her shoulder hung a brown satchel embroidered with the initials _“AE”_. 

“Good morning Jacob!” she called out to him. Jacob smiled sheepishly and waved at her from the Living Room, where he was still trying to piece the vase back together.

Mrs. Eversol laughed and walked into the Living Room.

“So you’re still getting used to your new powers, eh?” she pulled out her wand and pointed at the vase.

“ _Reparo”_ she whispered, and the vase was fixed. Jacob grabbed the vase in wonder and began looking it over, trying to find any damage, but it was as good as new.

“Enough of that!” Mrs. Eversol exclaimed. “We have to get out of here soon and get your school supplies! There’s also a sale on Hodag Tooth at the Apothecary…and I don’t want to miss that!”

Jacob nodded and set the vase down on the table next to him. Mrs. Eversol then began to rummage around in her bag. After some searching, she pulled out two pieces of paper and a small leather pouch. She then pulled out an inkwell and a Quill, which she set down on the table, next to the vase.

“Okay!” she said. “Before we go, we need to take care of some logistics. First…” she began, “We’ll be filling out your Wand Permit”

“What’s that?” Jacob asked in reply.

“A Wand Permit is a document that all Witches and Wizards in the United States are required to have. It’s our way of keeping track of how many legal magical folk live here in the US. Normally, younger people are listed as a ‘Dependent’ on their parent’s Wand Permit, but since you’re over the age of eighteen, you are required to fill out your own Wand Permit”

“So it’s like a Driver’s License but for Wizards?” he asked.

“Yep!” she replied. “You’ll need a Wand Permit if you ever want to purchase a Broom, register your fireplace to the Floo Network, vote for the MACUSA Representatives, or enter certain buildings, like the one that we’re visiting today” Jacob nodded, grabbed the quill, and scribbled his name at the bottom of the permit in a shaky scrawl before setting it back down in the inkwell.

“Now that you mention it…where are we going today?” he asked. “I’ve been bugging you for the past week about it, but you still haven’t told me”

“That’s right!” she said. “That’s because it’s a surprise. Regardless, you can trust me when I say that you can find last item on your list at this store” At the thought of it, Jacob pulled out his list and looked it over. There a small blotch in the corner of the parchment from the bit of spaghetti he spilled on it while he was eating dinner last week. The more he looked at the items on his list, however, the more concerned he became.

“There are a lot of books on here…along with a lot of clothes and other various things. How am going to be able to afford all of this? I hardly have any money. What happens if I’m not able to afford all of this? Would everything still be okay - ”

Mrs. Eversol quickly interrupted him. “There’s nothing for you to worry about. All of that will be paid for by the government. She laughed again. “No one likes paying taxes, especially here in the United States, but our country is especially proud of Ilvermorny and its extensive history. That’s why all magical folk have to pay an Education Tax. If you were to attend a State-School, however, you’d have to pay for it on your own”

“I guess I’m pretty lucky then” he muttered.

“You sure are!” she replied and laughed again. 

Jacob had never seen this side of Mrs. Eversol before. In his eyes, she was just like any other neighbor he had. Whenever he talked with her in the past, she seemed to be a calm and collected individual. Now, Jacob was beginning to learn about who she truly was. She was a really enthusiastic individual, bursting with energy at times. She was passionate about Quidditch and had a bit of a sailor’s mouth. She enjoys Flying and taking care of her Pygmy Puff. Above all, Mrs. Eversol had a commanding presence that could be felt by everyone around her, but it didn’t feel dominating or overwhelming. Jacob felt luck, and relieved, to have her acting as a mentor-like figure to him. Whenever he had a question for her, she would explain it to him, like how many Sprinks made a Dragot, how the Midwestern Floo Network connected to the Eastern Network, and the inner-workings of the USQ, the United States Quidditch League.

Soon after, Jacob and his parents got ready to leave. They all climbed into Mrs. Eversol’s car and they drove off. After some time driving on the highway, they soon pulled into one of the many parking lots used by the Mall of America, the largest shopping mall in the United States of America. Hanging over the front entrance was a massive sign, emblazoned with hundreds of golden stars surrounding a red, white, and blue star.

Jacob shut the car door behind him after he stepped out. “Wait…so you’re telling me that I’ll be able to find everything I need at the Mall of America?”

Mrs. Eversol nodded in reply. “Most Witches and Wizards in the Twin Cities come here whenever they need to buy something”

Jacob walked towards the front door and stared at it. “But I’ve been here lots of times, and never once did a see a shop that sells any of the items on my list. Is there some sort of hidden basement or something?”

“Well…yes and no” she said. “Yes it’s hidden…but no, it’s not a basement” Mrs. Eversol shut her car door behind her and locked it with her keys.

“You see, a large number of Witches and Wizards live in large cities, like Chicago, Houston, and New York City. Given that fact, each state will usually send a witch and/or wizard undercover to various construction sites. As the building is being constructed, they slowly weave an enchantment into the building, allowing it to be used by both Magical Folk and No-Maj simultaneously. This was done with the Woolworth Building in New York City, the Sears Tower in Chicago, and the Mall of America, here in Minnesota”.

Jacob nodded. It was a strange concept, but given all that he had seen so far, it wasn’t too surprising that magic could pull it off. “So how do we get into the magic part of the mall, and avoid the normal part?”

Mrs. Eversol pulled her Wand Permit out of her pocket. “That’s what these are for! In every Wand Permit lies a simple charm that all states use for identification purposes. As long as you _want_ to enter the magical part of any building that uses this enchantment, the charm will activate, and you’ll be able to enter that part of the building easily”

“So since I signed my Wand Permit earlier today, I’ll be just fine?” Jacob asked her.

“Yep!” she replied. “There’s nothing for you to worry about” she then handed Jacob his Wand Permit, which he stuffed into his pocket.

Mrs. Eversol, Jacob, and his family all approached the main entrance of the mall. The windows were covered in small plastic posters peeling at the edges and there was no indication of the enchantment that Mrs. Eversol claimed to be cast over the entire mall. As she pulled the door open, however, and closed it behind her, she disappeared from sight, as if the door was a one-way mirror. Jacob’s parents then followed her inside and disappeared. Jacob stood alone at the door and stared through it, watching people wander through the mall. He then slowly pulled the door open and thought to himself: _I want to enter the mall… I want to enter the mall…_ He then walked inside the mall and shut the door behind him.

Jacob had entered a large atrium and stood on a balcony that overlooked a glittering marble floor three stories below him. Thick, rectangular columns lined the walkways, similar to glowsticks. They were filled with glowing purple and maroon water that bubbled up from the lower levels of the mall. It cast the mall in a warm and cozy atmosphere. After looking around, Jacob noticed his parents and Mrs. Eversol standing off to the side. He then approached them.

Mrs. Eversol and Jacob’s Parents were standing in front of a large map that hung on the wall. They were talking amongst themselves.

“So if we head to _Flip, Turn, and Scrawl_ first, we should be able to buy all of his textbooks. We can then head to _Stitch’s Quality Robes_ to pick up his school uniform. How long do you think that would take?” Mrs. Eversol asked.

“Probably about a half-hour or so in _Flip, Turn, and Scrawl_ …” Jacob’s Dad said. “…and then probably closer to an hour in _Stitch’s Quality Robes_. Stitch will most likely want to spend a lot of the time working on Jacob’s robes, and as we all know, he hates it when his customers try to rush him”.

“That would mean we’d be finished with his robes sometime around noon” Jacob’s mother said. “We could then head to the center atrium for lunch at _Twelve Aurors_. How does that sound?” It was just then that Jacob approached them.

“Oh Jacob!” Mrs. Eversol exclaimed. “There you are! We were wondering if you were ever going to come in here!” She pulled him closer to the map and began walking him through their itinerary. “So, we’ve planned out the beginning of our day up until lunch, but after we finish our lunch at _Twelve Aurors_ , we thought we could head to _Elmeran’s Fine Wands_ to pick up your wand. We’d then walk past _McTawny Broomsticks_ to _Ebbingdales Wonders for Wizards_ to pick up your Protective Gloves, Pointed Hat, Winter-Coat, Telescope, Brass Scales, and Cauldron. How does that sound to you?”

“That sounds great! Lead the way” he told them with a smile.

As Jacob walked through the halls of the Magical Mall of America, he passed by so many different stores and people. Some people wore plaid shirts with overalls and a tattered robe clasped around their shoulders or large cowboy boots that reached all the way up to their knees with a large ten-gallon hat and ripped denim jeans held together with belt-buckles that whistled merry tunes. There were those who wore buckskin shirts covered in beads and fringes while walking alongside people wearing hoodies under long velvet cloaks. White, African, Asian, Latino, and more, all together here in the mall buying all sorts of magical trinkets and gadgets.

Jacob smiled. “This is amazing!” he whispered under his breath. 

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As they walked, they passed by small retail stores of all kinds, but they eventually stopped by an old wooden store. Jacob looked up at the old sign hanging above the entrance. It read: _“Flip, Turn, and Scrawl: Books and Tomes”_. He then followed his parents and Mrs. Eversol into the store.

What the store lacked in square feet it made up for in height. Two spiral staircases climbed upward from the checkerboard marble floor. Many people were climbing up and down the staircases, gazing at books on the shelves. Some even sat in comfy armchairs positioned to the side of the room under the cast-iron alcoves filled with books above them. Mrs. Eversol approached the main desk, where the owner was pounding away an ink stamp in all of his books.

“Excuse me?” she said. The owner quickly looked up at her.

“Yes, what is it?” he answered.

“I’m here on Ilvermorny business” she flashed what looked like a badge at him. The man quickly grabbed his tall stack of books and set it onto the floor behind him.

“Ah…you’re one of those crazies from _the_ _council_ ” he muttered. “Sure, I’ll be right back with all of the books you need. One second…” He then lumbered off into a separate room and shut the door behind him. As Jacob’s parents left the store to use the bathroom, Jacob turned and looked at Mrs. Eversol. Her trademark enthusiasm had disappeared.

“Um…Mrs. Eversol?” he said hesitantly. “Are you alright…?”

Jolted out of her thoughts, she turned towards him and smiled. “Yes Jacob, I’m alright”.

“What _council_ is he talking about?” he inquired, but she shook her head and turned back towards the counter, where the owner was now ringing them up for all of his textbooks.

“Nothing… It’s nothing”

Halfway through ringing up their order, the owner of the store turned towards him and looked him over. “Are these books for you…?” he asked.

Jacob nodded in reply.

“Hmph!” the man said. “You look far too old to be going to school for the first time. You must be one of those Childs of Magic, no… _Children_ of Magic, am I right?”

Jacob nodded again, but more slowly this time, sensing the tension in his voice.

“Wow” the man said before chuckling to himself. “What are you doing getting mixed up with the Council? If I was you, I’d steer clear of those whack-jobs. As if I’d just trust one of you kids just because the council says I should…”

Jacob began fidgeting in place now, obviously uncomfortable, but the man continued on as he rung up the last few books for Jacob.

“I swear…there must’ve been some tampering with the votes last election. I have no idea how else Catts was elected as Jarl for the council. He then screwed it all up by installing a bunch of wusses into his cabinet, wusses that never get anything done! And on top of that, they want me to just believe that a bunch of No-Maj kids can suddenly do magic out of the blue at the age of eighteen! It’s unbelievable! Fraudulent pieces of shit if you asked me…”

Mrs. Eversol slammed her hand onto the desk. Many heads began to turn and look over at them, wondering what the commotion was about.

“I’ll have you know…” she told him in a low voice. “That the Supreme Wizengamot found no evidence of Voter Fraud or Ballot Tampering in the last election. Catts won fair and square, and for the record…you should treat a member of his cabinet with more respect”

Jacob looked up at her in shock. She continued.

“The same goes for the Children of Magic, like Jacob. It’s up to us to help them feel comfortable and welcomed into the Wizarding World” she stared at him angrily. “What ever happened to _Minnesota Nice…?_ ” Her hand hovering over her pocket where she kept her wand.

“I don’t have to give a damn about who either of you two are! And I don’t have to give a damn about this kid’s feelings!” the man exclaimed before slamming his hand on the counter too. “I see your hand hovering over your pocket! Are you going to threaten me with your wand?! All of that power has already gone to your head! That’s all your party has ever wanted. More power and control over the lives of innocent working-class wizards like me. You’re candidate’s not getting _my_ vote next November, that’s for sure!”

Mrs. Eversol slid her hand off the counter and glowered at him. “As if I’d care about who you used your vote on.” She grabbed the bag of Jacob’s books on the counter and dropped a handful of Dragots onto the counter. “Have a good day… _sir_ ” she told him, without a drop of sincerity in her voice. They all then left the store and walked out into the mall.

“Arghh!” Mrs. Eversol exclaimed. “I can’t STAND people like him!”

Jacob was now feeling very anxious at all of this, but he said nothing. Was everything that man said true? Jacob didn’t know the truth about Mrs. Eversol until only very recently, and his parents were good friends with her. Did that mean that they also shared the same beliefs as her? So many questions were buzzing around Jacob’s head, but he still said nothing and continued to act as if nothing was wrong.

Soon after that tense encounter, they met up again with Jacob’s parents and walked to _Stitch’s Quality Robes,_ a sleek and modern store filled with robes of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Behind the counter stood a small man with a ruddy complexion and a wrinkled face. As he saw them walk in, he jumped off of his stool and walked towards them.

“Mary!” he exclaimed. “It’s good to see you! What brings you into my store today?” he said while wringing his hands. “And Mr. and Mrs. Johnson! I haven’t seen you all in a long time!”

“Not much, Stitch!” Mrs. Eversol replied back. “We’re here today on Ilvermorny business. You see, Jacob, their son…” she gestured to Jacob’s parents. “…is due to attend Ilvermorny this fall”.

Stitch looked at Jacob in dumbfound amazement. “So…you’re one of those Children of Magic! That’s wonderful news!” he exclaimed. “To think that the dream of Magic now lives on in your family! Congratulations to the both of you” he smiled warmly. His parents thanked Stitch for the praise. 

Jacob was thrown-off by the sudden change in attitude. In comparison to the owner of _Flip, Turn, and Scrawl_ , Stitch was the nicest man in the world.

“So you’re here to get your clothes for school, right?” he asked Jacob.

Jacob nodded. “Yeah that’s right”

“Alrighty then!” Stitch said. “Follow me to the changing rooms” he motioned with his hand for Jacob to follow him, which he did. They walked past clothing racks and behind the counter to a small room near the back of the store. It was covered in mirrors from floor to ceiling, providing a good view of just about any angle you could imagine. He helped Jacob stand up on a stool, pulled out a small tape-measure, and began taking his measurements.

“So, Ilvermorny requires you to have three sets of plain work robes in the standard blue and cranberry colors” Stitch said. “They also require you to have a blue winter coat with golden fastenings and a formal uniform for events and holidays held throughout the term”

Jacob nodded again but said nothing. His mind was still focused on how tense the situation was earlier in the bookstore.

“Is there something bothering you?” Stitch asked.

Jacob looked down at Stitch as he was taking all of his measurements. “How did you know?” he asked.

Stitch sighed. “Well, I have a bit of a knack for knowing when someone is feeling sad or angry. You seem to be quite sad and anxious. Did something happen between you and your parents?”

“No…” Jacob said.

“Between you and Mary?”

“No…” he said again. “Well, I guess something happened when we were talking to the owner of the bookstore down the hall” he gestured back towards the way they came. “At _Flip, Turn, and Scrawl_ ”

“Oh…” Stitch answered. “You’re talking about Mr. Henribye. He’s always been quite the character, to say the least. What did he do?”

Jacob told him all that happened, from Mrs. Eversol’s rage to talks about Voter Fraud and Ballot Tampering. He nodded solemnly.

“Ah…I’m sorry you had to see that” he told Jacob. “Mr. Henribye is an extremist, one that believes pretty much anything his political party tells him without question” he scribbled another measurement down on his clipboard. “It also just so happens to be that his political party is opposite to the one your parents and Mary are in. So naturally, he hates them more than anything else in the world” Stitch shook his head in disbelief. “That’s just the way things are nowadays”

“Why does he hate them so much?” Jacob asked.

“Well, it’s really hard to pin down the reason why their political parties don’t get along. If I had to pin down some sort of reason for it, it’s because of their pasts. One political party wronged the other, and then they would get back at them for it at the earliest opportunity. This would evolve into a vicious cycle of getting back at the other party in more dangerous ways, eventually leading both parties to become more extreme, biased, and divided. It’s gotten so bad that both parties believe even the most outrageous lies about the other party, simply because they’ve been raised to believe that anyone not in their party isn’t even remotely worth their time” 

“So…what he said about them isn’t true?” Jacob asked again.

“No, not even remotely” Stitch answered. “Both sides think that the other just wants to burn this country to the ground, and Minnesota along with it. It’s actually because of this bias that I’ve always considered myself to be more Moderate, just like Mrs. Eversol and your parents. People like us just want everyone to get along. What matters to your parents and Mrs. Eversol are the actions of people in office. They could care less about control and power”.

Jacob stood there and sighed. “Good” he told Stitch. “I’m glad to hear that, but is most of the country like that?”

“Yeah, I’m afraid it is” he answered back. “It’s why I normally don’t talk about this with anyone outside of my family, your family being the exception. It always gets heated and nasty during election season. Claims of Voter Fraud and Ballot Tampering end up running rampant because the candidates that lost claim that to be the case” he stopped what he was doing and looked at Jacob. “Take it from me, Jacob. Don’t get mixed up with politics too much. Just think for yourself and do what you believe to be right. That’s all anyone can ever ask of you”

Stitch then finished taking his measurements and walked Jacob back to meet with Mrs. Eversol and his parents, who were just milling about Stitch’s store. They then waiting for Jacob’s robes to be hemmed, paid for his robes once they were finished, and left the store, but not before Jacob turned back and waved to Stitch, thanking him for the robes.

The rest of the day went by without a hitch. Jacob really enjoyed lunch at _Twelve Aurors, Pub and Grill_. They then found themselves wandering around _Ebbingdales Wonders for Wizards_ , and before long, Jacob found himself lying in his bed back at home. Glad for the opportunities that he had to enjoy himself and spend time with his parents throughout the day. Now that he had all of his school supplies, all he had to do was wait until September, for Ilvermorny. 

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**_ Magical Creature Profile (Double Feature!), The Bat Bass and Ball Fish: _ **

The Ball Fish is a small, spherical fish no larger than a baseball. It’s found across the entire country, but most notably near Seattle in Washington state. The Bat Bass is a long bass shaped liked a baseball bat. It’s never found too far apart from a Ball Fish. These fish are assumed to be the result of an incomplete transfiguration, as is the case for many magical creatures in the United States. When these fish aren’t searching for food, the Bat Bass wedges itself between rocks on the floor of freshwater lakes, swinging itself back and forth as it attempts to hit the Ball Fish as it swims by. When catching a Bat Bass, place your hands near the “handle”, the point furthest away from the head. Once you do that, make sure to toss the Ball Fish up in the air, and hit I across the pond with the Bat Bass. Removing the Bat Bass without removing its Ball Fish is a Class A Punishable Offense as designated by the Bureau for the Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures.


End file.
